Phoenixville should upgrade parking meters to card-only

I read The Mercury’s recent article about Phoenixville replacing parking meters. I had been told that the credit card system was being replaced in the lot between Prospect and Church, behind The Black Lab, etc. I had dinner there recently and my friends and I thought that putting in coin meters was an ill-advised and retrogressive decision that will drive away prospective consumers/visitors.

People just don’t carry change any more; we expect to be able to use our credit cards or our smartphones to conduct activities such as parking. I already decline to drive into Phoenixville in the warm months during the day because of the long traffic delays in Mont Clare at Produce Junction. Now I will not be able to conveniently park, so I will pursue Phoenixville venues less frequently.

Card systems work all over the country and people use them conveniently. Being unable to find one that is “suitable” means to me that: a) The system reduces the number of parking tickets written; b) the fee or percentage that the card system vendor charges seems “too high;” and/or c) those in charge have a vested interest in the construction or meters.

Just make the card system work. People like me who spend our money in Phoenixville would like to believe that our best interest is being served. Phoenixville has undergone dramatic improvements in the past dozen years. Please don’t regress.